drum
1- a musical percussion instrument consisting of a hollow, usually cylindrical, body covered at one or both ends with a tightly stretched membrane, or head, which is struck with the hand, a stick, or a pair of sticks, and typically produces a booming, tapping, or hollow sound.
- any hollow tree or similar object or device used in this way.
- the sound produced by such an instrument, object, or device.
- any rumbling or deep booming sound.
- a natural organ by which an animal produces a loud or bass sound.
- eardrum.
- any cylindrical object with flat ends.
- a cylindrical part of a machine.
- a cylindrical box or receptacle, especially a large, metal one for storing or transporting liquids.
- Also called tambour. Architecture.
- any of several cylindrical or nearly cylindrical stones laid one above the other to form a column or pier.
- a cylindrical or faceted construction supporting a dome.
- any of several marine and freshwater fishes of the family Sciaenidae that produce a drumming sound.
- Also called drum memory. Computers. magnetic drum.
- Archaic. an assembly of fashionable people at a private house in the evening.
- a person who plays the drum.
- Australian Informal. reliable, confidential, or profitable information: to give someone the drum.
- to beat or play a drum.
- to beat on anything rhythmically, especially to tap one's fingers rhythmically on a hard surface.
- to make a sound like that of a drum; resound.
- (of ruffed grouse and other birds) to produce a sound resembling drumming.
- to beat (a drum) rhythmically; perform by beating a drum: to drum a rhythm for dancers.
- to call or summon by, or as if by, beating a drum.
- to drive or force by persistent repetition: to drum an idea into someone.
- to fill a drum with; store in a drum: to drum contaminated water and dispose of it.
- drum out,
- (formerly) to expel or dismiss from a military service in disgrace to the beat of a drum.
- to dismiss in disgrace: He was drummed out of the university for his gambling activities.
- drum up,
- to call or summon by, or as if by, beating a drum.
- to obtain or create (customers, trade, interest, etc.) through vigorous effort: They were unable to drum up enthusiasm for the new policies.
- to concoct; devise: to drum up new methods of dealing with urban crime.
- beat the drum, to promote, publicize, or advertise: The boss is out beating the drum for a new product.
Origin of drum
1drum
2- a long, narrow hill or ridge.
Origin of drum
2Examples from the Web for drums
Contemporary Examples of drums
But they had not quit and here they now were as the Emerald Society Pipes and Drums came into the Garden.
The NYPD Emerald Society pipes and drums struck up a slow march and the procession began the journey to the cemetery.
The “rooty toot toot” is simply the noise the horns make, while “rummy tum tum” is the drums.
It was one night, with Tony Williams on drums and, I think, Richard Davis on bass.
But, like a traditional shaman, Coltrane clearly believed that the drums served as a springboard to a higher order of engagement.
Historical Examples of drums
We gave the horses water out of the drums, and turned eastward with them.
Explorations in AustraliaJohn Forrest
We had to carry the water from the spring in drums, which was slow and hard work.
Explorations in AustraliaJohn Forrest
When he heard the drums he flared up like a spark in the tinder.
The Trail BookMary Austin
While I talked, there burst forth suddenly the racket of fifes and drums in the road.
In the ValleyHarold Frederic
All up the Valley the drums' rattle drowned the drone of the locusts in the stubble.
In the ValleyHarold Frederic
drum
1- music a percussion instrument sounded by striking a membrane stretched across the opening of a hollow cylinder or hemisphere
- beat the drum for informal to attempt to arouse interest in
- the sound produced by a drum or any similar sound
- an object that resembles a drum in shape, such as a large spool or a cylindrical container
- architect
- one of a number of cylindrical blocks of stone used to construct the shaft of a column
- the wall or structure supporting a dome or cupola
- short for eardrum
- Also called: drumfish any of various North American marine and freshwater sciaenid fishes, such as Equetus pulcher (striped drum), that utter a drumming sound
- a type of hollow rotor for steam turbines or axial compressors
- computing a rotating cylindrical device on which data may be stored for later retrieval: now mostly superseded by disksSee disk (def. 2)
- archaic a drummer
- the drum Australian informal the necessary information (esp in the phrase give (someone) the drum)
- to play (music) on or as if on a drum
- to beat or tap (the fingers) rhythmically or regularly
- (intr) (of birds) to produce a rhythmic sound, as by beating the bill against a tree, branch, etc
- (tr sometimes foll by up) to summon or call by drumming
- (tr) to instil by constant repetitionto drum an idea into someone's head
Word Origin for drum
drum
2- Scot and Irish a narrow ridge or hill
Word Origin for drum
Word Origin and History for drums
drum
1540s, probably from Middle Dutch tromme "drum," common Germanic (cf. German Trommel, Danish tromme, Swedish trumma), probably of imitative origin. Not common before 1570s. Slightly older, and more common at first, was drumslade, apparently from Dutch or Low German trommelslag. Machinery sense attested from 1740, from similarity of shape.
drum
1570s, from drum (n.). To drum (up) business, etc., is American English 1839, from the old way of drawing a crowd.
drum
(drŭm)- eardrum